


Halfway

by Dreamin



Category: Captain America (Movies), Marvel Cinematic Universe, Thor (Movies)
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, mentioned Stephen Strange/Christine Palmer
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-01-24
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-15 10:55:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 902
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17527427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dreamin/pseuds/Dreamin
Summary: Darcy gets a surprise one bleak January day.





	Halfway

**Author's Note:**

  * For [afteriwake](https://archiveofourown.org/users/afteriwake/gifts).



> Inspired by one of the pairs of pajamas I got for Christmas.

Darcy Lewis’ teeth chattered as she made her way into the hotel. _They just had to pick Chicago in January to hold an astrology conference. This snowstorm is like a big middle finger at their hubris._ She managed a smile at digging into the more intellectual side of her vocabulary as she started walking across the lobby towards the elevators, taking off her gloves and stuffing them into her pockets as she went.

She was just passing the front desk when one of the managers spoke up. “Ms. Lewis?”

“Yes?” she asked as she walked over to the desk.

The man handed her a box wrapped in brown paper and tied with twine. On top was a stationery envelope with her name and room number on it. “This arrived for you earlier.”

Darcy took the box, confused. “Um, thanks.” It was the size of a gift box for clothes and light enough that she assumed it couldn’t be anything other than that. “Do you know who delivered it?”

“A messenger, he said he’s with Strange Delivery.”

She raised an eyebrow, barely managing to hide a grin. “Right, thanks.”

Once inside her suite, she put the box on the coffee table then hung up her coat, hat, and scarf before pulling out her phone.

Stephen Strange answered on the third ring. “Hello, Darcy. I take it you got the gift.” His grin was audible.

Darcy grinned as well. “Hi. Yeah. I’m really hoping you’re not the sender since I don’t want to make a certain ER doc mad.”

He chuckled. “I admire your preservation instincts. No, I’m just the delivery boy. Our mutual friend asked me to deliver it for him.”

“Have sling-ring, will travel?”

“Exactly. Have fun.”

“Thanks, Doc.”

After she hung up, she eyed the box. _A man Strange and I both know? I haven’t met Wong yet so it has to be somebody on the team. It wouldn’t be the taken ones, so that doesn’t leave many these days._ One face in particular came to mind – blond hair a little darker than when they originally met, a beard she had come to love, and baby blue eyes she could stare at all day.

_Too bad there’s no way it could be from Steve._ The two of them were best friends and she knew there were lines that friends just didn’t cross. _Like, you know, ever, despite how much you want to._ Pulling out the pocket knife he had given her for her last birthday, she cut the twine then put the knife away before tearing off the paper and opening the box.

Inside was a pair of women’s winter pajamas. The material was soft and stretchy with a pattern of green, white, red, and pink evergreens on a navy background.

Darcy’s face lit up. “So cute!” She wasted no time grabbing the pajamas and taking them into the bedroom. After a quick change and braiding her hair like she always did before bed, she walked back to the living room and spotted the envelope. Grabbing it with a hand she realized was trembling slightly, she sat down on the sofa then took a deep breath before opening it.

_Darcy,_

_Your friendship means more to me than anything in the world but I’ve realized that I want us to be more than friends. If you want that too, call me. If not, I understand. I won’t ask again._

_Steve_

Her cheeks were hurting before she even realized she was smiling widely at his words. _Oh, Steve…_ Grabbing her phone, she found his number at the top of her contacts.

He picked up on the first ring. “Darce?” His voice was breathless with anticipation.

“That would be me,” she said, still grinning.

“I take it you got my note?”

“And the PJs. Thank you for them, they’re the nicest pair I’ve had in a long time.”

Steve chuckled softly. “You’re welcome. I wanted to give them to you last week but then I went on a mission and by the time I got back, you were in Chicago.”

“Why last week?” she asked, curious despite how giddy she was feeling.

“The pajamas have Christmas and Valentine’s Day colors, last Saturday was exactly halfway between Christmas and Valentine’s Day.”

“And that’s significant how?” she teased gently.

Steve chuckled. “I don’t know … something about it just seemed like it was the right time for us to start dating. Halfway between friends and lovers? It sounded better in my head. Um, the note is why you called, right? Not just to thank me for the pajamas?”

She murmured, running a hand over her thigh, “Well, they are really nice pajamas.”

He groaned quietly. “You’re killing me, Darce.”

She giggled. “Aww. Okay, I’ll take pity on an old man. Yes, Steve, I want to be more than friends too.”

The call dropped just before she heard the tell-tale crackling of one of Strange’s portals. Sure enough, when she ran into the bedroom, she saw Steve walking through a portal, overnight bag in hand. The smile he gave her could’ve lit up all of New York with enough left over for Chicago. Dropping his bag, he held out his arms to her.

Darcy ran into his arms and only had a brief close-up look at the joy in his eyes before he kissed her deeply. She knew the same amount of joy must have shown in hers.


End file.
